Did you know that the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank provides emergency food assistance to more than 104,000 members of the Western and Central Virginian community each month? Or that last year alone, the community donated more than 700,000 pounds of food…providing more than half a million meals to hungry families?
Whether you are moving and trying to lighten your load, or at the grocery store and willing to pick up a few extra items, please help fight hunger in our community and donate between now and June 4th. For your convenience, we have donation bins set up in several 14th Street and JPA area locations: Woodard Properties Leasing Office (during business hours), 313 13th Street, 106 Montebello, 300 Montebello, 224 14th Street (Camden Plaza), and 1010 Wertland.

We know how exhausting and demanding the end of the semester can be for all of our student residents and we like to do what we can to help alleviate some of that stress! Today, Wednesday May 2nd, we are serving ice cream with an array of toppings to our residents in the 13th Street, 14th Street, 16th Street, John Street, Grady Avenue and 4 University Court area. So take a well-deserved break from studying and come to the Oxbridge Ballroom at 314 14th Street between 2:30 and 4:30 today for some delicious ice cream and a chance to win a $100 WishWish gift card!

Charlottesville’s Historic Downtown Mall…considered one of the finest urban parks in the United States and located in the heart of our dynamic city. To be a part of this celebrated community is an honor and a privilege that Woodard Properties does not take for granted, which is why we are so pleased to receive such positive feedback on the unveiling of our newest commercial space located at First and Main!

jean theory:‘s new facade is delighting tourists, residents, and fellow business owners alike and we could not be more pleased with the response. Here are a few of the compliments that really made our day:

“It’s nice to see that someone finally got it right!”

“Best looking storefront on the mall!”

“Amazing structure, incredible design!”

“It’s so nice to see that side of the mall coming to life!”

And our personal favorite from a neighboring business, “Thank you for improving my view!”

We very much appreciate this opportunity to contribute to the diversity and character of architecture on the Downtown Mall and look forward to enhancing our community with future projects!

 The year 1970 brought the death of Jimi Hendrix, the last Beatles album, and the very first Earth Day! Founded as a means to promote a healthy and sustainable environment in the United States, Earth Day has since gone global and continues to enlist support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city dwellers and country folk, tycoons and laborers around the world.

Have you ever heard the saying, “every day is Earth Day?” It’s a wonderful sentiment and something that we at Woodard Properties strive to embody through our initiatives to go paperless (a huge undertaking!), our recycling endeavors, our participation in the C’ville Better Business Challenge, etc. In this fast-paced and hyper-stimulating age, however, it’s easy to lose our focus – even on something as vital as the health of our planet. Celebrating Earth Day is critically important in reminding us to maintain a healthy relationship with our environment and to consistently work toward a more sustainable community as a whole.

Students and Faculty at the University of Virginia decided that one day of celebrating our Earth wouldn’t be nearly enough, so instead of Earth Day the ‘Hoos are celebrating Earth Week! We took a stroll to the Amphitheater yesterday to check out the Eco Fair where we discovered several fascinating programs and organizations focused on sustainability – not just at UVA but throughout the Charlottesville community. The UVA Community Garden, Black Bear Composting, the UVA Food Collaborative, and the Cville Bike mApp Project are just a few of the programs we found particularly interesting.

So get outside this weekend, check out the many events sponsored by Sustainability at UVA or head to the C’ville Eco Fair at the Main Street Arena on Sunday, and direct some of that Spring-time energy into building a clean, healthy, and diverse world for many generations to come!

The end of the academic year is drawing near, and that means completing exams, finalizing projects, graduating (for some), anticipating summer activities, and (for many) moving out of your current residence. You will undoubtedly discover some household items that you no longer need or are unable to take with you in your transition. Don’t let these possessions go to waste! Donate unwanted furniture, appliances, clothing,
and non-perishable food through Chuck It For Charity Off Grounds!

Woodard Properties is excited to continue partnering with the University of Virginia Community Relations Office, The Salvation Army, and other property management companies to give residents an opportunity to make donations through Chuck It For Charity. Formerly known as Sofa Shuffle, Chuck It For Charity complements UVA Sustainability‘s on grounds drive giving students a central location to drop off unwanted household items and canned goods to benefit The Salvation Army. Donations can be dropped off 10am-3pm May 17th, 18th, and 19th at various locations near grounds, including our property at 303 14th Street NW.

We are always happy to contribute to our community’s sustainable and charitable efforts, and we hope that you, too, will delight in being green and generous by donating your unwanted items to this honorable cause!

We are proud to support the University of Virginia Baseball Team and the United Way! The Home Run Club is a program that enlists area businesses to donate $10 to the United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area for every home run hit by the Virginia Cavaliers baseball team throughout their season. These donations will ultimately benefit local programs that provide services to children, the elderly, the disabled, and struggling working families. Check out the United Way’s blog post about Woodard Properties:

Woodard Properties has been serving Charlottesville Businesses, Students, and the Community since 1981. Woodard Properties offers friendly service and a variety of housing and commercial space options near The University of Virginia and Downtown. Woodard Properties values the Community and thinks the Home Run Club is an excellent opportunity to show their support of The United Way.

We are excited to announce the much anticipated Grand Re-Opening of jean theory: this Saturday, March 17th! Jean theory:’s new home is located on the Downtown Mall at 111 East Main Street, right next door to Derriere de Soie and Verdigris.

Saturday promises to be another beautiful, sunny day, so head to your local downtown businesses, let the amazing jean theory: staff help you find the perfect pair of jeans for your St. Patty’s Day festivities, and take advantage of their Grand Re-Opening SALE: Buy 1 get 1 half off regular-priced items, an additional 20% off all sale items,
and $5-$20 clearance items.

The sale lasts all day, 10am-7pm, so stop by anytime. For more details, visit jean theory:’s Grand Re-Opening event on Facebook, “like” their Facebook page, and be sure to share with all of your friends!

Tangerine Tango is the Color of the Year for 2012! Every year Pantone, the world renowned authority on color, draws on a myriad of inspirations to create a signature color that will influence markets and products from the Graphic Arts, to Fashion and Cosmetics, to the latest trends in Home Decor. This year, one of the major influences in defining Tangerine Tango as the Color of 2012 was derived from the colorful and lively paintings by Mark Rothko. Like Rothko’s work, Tangerine Tango is bold, spirited and adds energy and warmth wherever it is used.

How can this sophisticated and exotic color be used to inspire your everyday life? Try energizing your interior spaces with Tangerine Tango patterned accessories like pillows, bedspreads, and throw rugs. Or carry the vigor of the color with you throughout your day with Tangerine Tango colored clothing and accessories. If you work with or are studying the Arts or Graphic Design, try pairing this bold color with soft pastels in your next project to echo the energy and optimism found throughout the natural world… like a sunset!

 
How are we at Woodard Properties using the Color of the Year 2012? We went wild and painted a wall in our Leasing Office! Come by and be inspired by our new Tangerine Tango accent wall. We love the warmth and pep it adds to our environment!

What kind of commercial space are you in the “Market” for? If it’s close proximity to the Charlottesville Downtown Mall, affordable rents for office, studio and/or warehouse space as well as a locally owned, customer-centered management company… then you need to check out Market Square.

Located on East Market Street, Market Square boasts a combination of office, studio and warehouse rental units. With easy access to downtown Charlottesville, the 250 Bypass, and Interstate 64, Market Square is a smart place to locate your business.

Market Square is currently home to nearly 40 occupants which include The Bridge Outreach Church, Artisan Construction, Bay 1 Studios, T.S. Eways Oriental Carpets, Cavalier Insurance, Universal Electronic Repairs, and Ace Contracting, to name but a few. Many have been at Market Square for years while some have just recently located there.

Whether you’re looking for a warehouse unit with a dock, an office space that’s just the right size for your business, or the simplicity of being located in the heart of Charlottesville, Market Square may be right for you.

Contact Woodard Properties today if you’re in the “Market” for a new business home!

Greetings, followers of the Woodard Properties blog! I’m Kath, co-owner of Great Harvest Charlottesville and the blogger behind Kath Eats Real Food, here to share a little bit of our story opening a bakery. My husband, Matt, and I were young twenty-somethings when we decided to open a bakery, and here we are two years later with a happily running business to care for!

We first decided to pursue opening a Great Harvest franchise after Matt had spent a year working at one in Charlotte, North Carolina. He began work there thinking it would be a temporary job while he searched for full-time employment, but he ended up loving it so much he stayed on. A year later he felt confident he could run one himself and we began to research opening a franchise.
After multiple interviews with the company and research on small business loans and possible investor partnerships, we embarked on our journey. Since Charlotte already had a few locations, we had to choose a new city and Charlottesville had always been on our radar. Matt was born here, and we loved to visit for romantic getaways in college. Cville seemed like the perfect match for us.

I wrote the following after a visit in 2009:
“Overall, we love Charlottesville. I have no doubt it would be perfect for our personalities and lifestyle priorities (and for raising a family!). I’m excited and nervous to see where the next six months take us.”

We traveled up a few more times and found a location on the Downtown Mall that we liked. However, the terms of the lease just didn’t feel right to us and we ended up backing away from the deal. right around the time when we left Charlotte to move to Charlottesville, we had to start our location hunt from scratch.

This ended up being a blessing because soon we found McIntire Plaza!

We knew the location was great: close to downtown, adequate parking, good visibility. But the inside needed a complete renovation! Crazy Horse Studio was moving out and we had to have the vision to see how a t-shirt print shop could become a warm and inviting bakery.
 

Thanks to Artisan Construction and help from Woodard Properties, that transformation began to take shape. It was really quite amazing to see the space open up!

And new walls to go in

Equipment delivered

And an oven built from this

Into this!

The construction and equipment installation was the scariest thing I have ever been through. Matt and I were constantly worried about our budget, opening on time, problems that arose. But somehow, things turned out OK.

The exterior got a face lift, too.

The bakery started to look real.

And before long, we opened! A day after our 4th wedding anniversary on June 3, 2011.

The transformation from paint-splattered warehouse to a neighborhood breadquarters was incredible, but not something I’d want to have to do again! We’re very thankful to have been able to make this dream come true.

We have so many wonderful customers who have made the past year a blast!